Western Asiatic Bronze Dagger

Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved monogram to obverse 'REX·SOS'; Neo-Punic monogram to reverse. 67.3 grams, 40 mm



Acquired on the UK art market, early 2000s. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.

This remarkable slingshot offers a rare insight into a little-known period in the history of the Kingdom of Mauretania in the first century B.C. The piece can be linked to King Mastanesosus, who is known to have shortened his name to “Sos.” He was the son of Bocchus I (c. 110–80s BC), the ruler who famously betrayed King Jugurtha of Numidia to Sulla and the Roman Republic. The inscription in Latin shows the growing influence of Rome at the time. It may even suggest that Roman slingers were part of Sosus’s army. During this period, Mauretania was already coming under Roman control and influence. Later, Bocchus II, the grandson of Sosus, supported the winning side in Rome’s civil war, and Mauretania became a client kingdom. This eventually led to its full absorption into the Roman Empire after the murder of King Ptolemy, son of Juba, by the emperor Caligula. The reverse of the slingshot shows a monogram in neo-Punic, similar to those found on coins from the same period. This is almost certainly a personal symbol or mark of Sosus himself. The use of both Latin and neo-Punic makes the piece bilingual, which is particularly interesting.

Comprising: two-edged lenticular-section piled blade (Oakshott's Type XI) with gentle taper overall to a rounded point and fuller to both faces; quillons round in section with taper to ends; flat-section tang tapering to the upper end; disc pommel of Oakshott's Type G with slightly domed faces. 1.01 kg, 95 cm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13303-257653.

Piriform in profile with a stepped neck, incised decoration and three raised lugs; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 424 grams, 17 cm



From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s. Accompanied by an academic paper by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato, dated 15 July 2019 and titled 'Eastern Roman Empire - Greek Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade (μεσαίον kακάβιον) 9th-11th century AD'.

Apart from the use of siphons or manual flame-throwers called cheirosiphona, special corps of Roman soldiers employed terracotta grenades, in the form of small jars, abundantly evidenced in archaeological excavations. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια, where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.